ラームはＬＩＶと米ツアーの統合に悲観的 「すぐには実現しない」

【オーガスタ（米国）ＡＦＰ＝時事】】男子ゴルフ、元世界ランキング１位のジョン・ラーム（スペイン）が８日、第８９回マスターズ・トーナメントの開幕を前に、米ツアーとＬＩＶゴルフリーグの統合について「すぐには実現しない」と悲観的な見通しを示した。（写真は男子ゴルフのジョン・ラーム）
　今季のメジャー初戦であるマスターズは、数か月ぶりに米ツアー組とＬＩＶ組のトップゴルファーたちが顔を合わせる機会になる。
　しかし、２０２３年のマスターズ覇者ラームは、長らく議論されている統合がすぐに実現するとは考えておらず、記者会見で「みんなが望んでいると思う。しかし、知る限りすぐには実現しない」と述べた。
　先月、ドナルド・トランプ米大統領が米ツアーとＬＩＶのトップをホワイトハウスへ招待した際には、米ツアーとＤＰワールドツアー（欧州ツアー）、ＬＩＶゴルフを後援するサウジアラビアの政府系基金パブリック・インベストメント・ファンド（ＰＩＦ）との交渉が進展することへの期待が高まった。
　しかし、トランプ氏が今後の展開について強気の姿勢を示している中で、英ガーディアン紙の報道によると、１５億ドル（約２１８２億円）の投資を持ちかけたＰＩＦに対して、米ツアーは見返りに「大幅な譲歩」を行うことをよしとせず、交渉は行き詰まったという。
　ラームは、自分を含めた大半の選手が実情をまったく把握していないと述べ、「誰も知らない。みんなが解決策を求めているが、見いだすのは難しい」と語った。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2025/04/09-17:20）

Former world number one Jon Rahm sounded a pessimistic note on the prospects for peace between global golf's warring factions Tuesday even as he and other LIV golfers prepared to tee it up against PGA Tour pros at the Masters.
The first major of the year offers the first time in months that the world's best golfers will face one another.
Rahm, the 2023 Masters champion, said he doesn't see the long-discussed merger that would bring them together more often on the horizon.
I think we all would like to see that, Rahm said in a pre-tournament news conference. But as far as I can tell, and you guys can tell, it's not happening anytime soon.
Hopes of a breakthrough in talks between the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) that backs LIV had risen afer US President Donald Trump hosted PGA and LIV chiefs at the White House last month.
Trump remained bullish on the prospects of a deal just a week ago, but a report in Britain's The Guardian newspaper said negotiations had reached an impasse after the PGA Tour failed to deliver serious concessions in exchange for a $1.5 billion PIF investment.
Rahm said that he and most players are in the dark on where things actually stand.
We don?t know. No one knows. We all want a solution, and it's hard to give one, Rahm said.
US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau welcomed the major stage as a chance to get all of the game's best together, but sounded frustrated that progress had stalled on bringing them together more often.
Anytime I get an opportunity to play against everyone, the best players in the world, it's great, DeChambeau said. I think that's what we're all hoping for at some point is for that to be figured out.
That's beyond me and beyond my scope, unfortunately, DeChambeau added. I think at some point if the players get all together, I think we could figure it out.
But it's a lot more complicated, obviously, than what we all think. Hopefully one day it'll get figured out and we can make that happen.
While the jump to LIV Golf has had handsome financial rewards, the acrimonious split has also had repercussions for those who made the move, including slumping in the official world golf rankings that don't recognize LIV events.
Rahm, third when he defected to LIV in December 2023, is now ranked 80th.
A couple weeks to go and I'll be gone (from the top 100), he said, but added: I would still undoubtedly consider myself a top-10 player in the world.
But it's hard to tell nowadays, Rahm admitted.
While the clash between top golfers from the PGA and DP World tours and their LIV counterparts has been a recurring theme from reporters, Rahm said the Masters doesn't need any such subtext to ramp up the drama.
I don't think you need to do anything to make the Masters any more special than it already is, he said.